Manufacture of primary explosives.



a n S PATEN T OFFICE.

MANUFACTURE OF PRIMARY EXPLOSIVES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dr. RAFAEL, CALVET, a subject of the King of Spain,residing at No. 34 calle de Gerona, Barcelona, Spain, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to the Manufactureof Primary Explosives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a primary explosive and its manufacture, theobject being to produce a substance capable of replacing fulminate ofmercury and the other usual detonating compounds.

The improved product consists of a mixture of a thiocyanate compound orof a sub stance derived therefromwith potassium chlorate or potassiumperchlorate.

It has previously been proposed to utilize certain sulfocyanids or saltsof the sulfocyanic acid SCNH, for the above said purpose. However thesesubstances have not given complete satisfaction, because they aresomewhat hygroscopic, highly unstable and impart these qualities to theexplosives made with them. According to the present invention, compoundsof sulfocyanogen which belong to a higher grade are employed and theyconstitute chemical compounds quite different from the sulfocyanates,these being called thiocyanate compounds. These compounds are neitherhygroscopic nor unstable and when they are mixed with an oxidizingsubstance, specially with potassium chlorate or perchlorate, theyproduce primary explosives of great strength, which may be ignited bypercussion or heat and might advantageously replace fulminate of mercuryand similar preparations. These compounds indeed are not decomposed bymoisture, nor do they form any reaction with the metal of the primers orcaps; also they can withstand much higher temperatures than fulminate ofmercury. These thiocyanate com- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application filed June 6, 1913. Serial No. 772,097.

pounds have an acid reaction and can consequently be combined withmetals, and so form definite and permanent bodies which might, like thethiocyanate compounds from which they are derived, be used for thepreparation of the improved primary explosive which forms the subjectmatter of the present patent application.

e compounds in question are the following: perthiocyanic acid orhydrogen perthiocyanate (S,C N H and its salts, particularly copperperthiocyanate (S C N Cu) and lead perthiocyan'ate (s C N Pb) furtherdithiocyanic acid 'or hydrogen dithiocyanate (S C N H and its salts,copper diothiocyanate (S C N Cu) and diothiocyanate'of lead (S 'C N Pb)and finally Wohlers thiocyanic compound (pseudo sulphure de cyanogene ofGerhardt and Laurent) (S C N H) as Well as its combinations with copper(S G N Cu and with lead (aemt 1. A primary explosive consisting of amixture comprising a compound containing the radical S C N and a saltcontaining chlorin and not less than three atoms of oxygen.

2. A primary explosive consisting of a mixture includin S C N Cu, and anoxidiz ing salt of an acid containing chlorin.

3. primary explosive containing S ,C N Cu and potassium chlorate.

4. A primary explosive containing 1 part of a compound containing theradical S C N and 21} to 3 parts of an oxidizing salt of an acidcontaining chlorin.

In testlmony whereof I aflix my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

DR. RAFAEL CALVET.

Witnesses:

CONSTANTINO Lornz Y CID, NAnoIs JUBERT.

